Rail vehicle brake actuator with a brake block holder

Abstract

A rail vehicle brake actuator has a brake block holder (3) suspended therefrom (so as to be laterally movable during braking) by hangers (5) in the form of leaf springs. The hangers are rotatably attached to the lower end of the brake block holder by a stiff lower shaft (8) and to an actuator bracket (2) by pivot joints on a rotatable upper shaft (7).

I claim: 
     
       1. A rail vehicle braking system, comprising in combination, a brake actuator (1), a brake block holder (3) having a lower end suspended from the actuator so as to be laterally movable during braking, hangers (4, 5) suspending the brake block holder comprising leaf springs, a bracket (2), suspension means rotatably attaching the hangers (4, 5) to the bracket (2) on the actuator comprising a rotatable upper shaft (7), coupling means between the hangers and the brake block holder at said lower end, the hangers (4, 5) being rotatably attached to the lower end of the brake block holder (3) by a stiff lower shaft (8) disposed between the hangers (4, 5), and a pivot joint (12-17) between each hanger and the rotatable upper shaft (7) in the bracket (2) comprising a member about the upper shaft (7) with a pivot point (12') engaging at least one of the hangers substantially in alignment with a pivot axis of rotation of the hangers about the bracket (2) and flexible structure (13, 16, 17) disposed about shaft (7) for engaging said hangers to accommodate lateral pivoting of the hangers in a lateral movement direction following axial movement of the wheels being braked. 
     
     
       2. An actuator according to claim 1, further comprising means for prestressing the hangers (4, 5) in the form of leaf springs in a direction for compensating for the bias of the taper of a wheel tread to be engaged, including a flat bar (9) arranged at one of the hangers along the major length thereof and a screw (11) mounted at lower end of the bar (9) to contact and bias the leaf near the lower shaft (8) for variably adjusting the prestress.